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Chapter 4

Author: Tomatoes Together
It seemed like Andrew was trying to get in Carl's good books. However, after glancing at the pastry box, Carl simply continued to play with his Lego bricks.

Immediately, Andrew's expression darkened, and he turned to blame me. "Just what have you been teaching the kid? He didn't even greet me when I came in!

"Not only that, but now he's ignoring me and won't even speak! Is he a mute?"

Worried that his usage of the word "mute" would hurt Carl's feelings, I closed the lid of my laptop and got ready to run over to protect him.

However, before I could stand up, Andrew, in a rare show of conscience, realized that he had been wrong to say that. He crouched down to apologize to Carl.

"I'm sorry."

He was about to speak up again, but then his attention was caught by something on the nearby coffee table. It was the bottle filled with candy wrappers and the note pinned underneath it.

A throb of pain shot through his heart, as though an invisible hand was squeezing it.

Just as he was about to pull the note out and read it, the ringtone he used specifically for Jennifer's number blared loudly.

Staring at Carl's back, he hesitated briefly. Nonetheless, he still ended up answering his phone.

"Hello? Jenny, what's wrong with Jordan? Don't panic. I'll be right over."

The moment Andrew heard that something had happened with Jennifer and Jordan, he anxiously set down everything he held before dashing for the front door.

Right before he stepped out, he abruptly stopped, which was something he had never done before. He turned to glance back at Carl.

"Carl, remember to eat the cake, okay? I'll be back before you know it."

This time, however, Carl was no longer heartbroken to see his father leave. He also did not bother to respond to Andrew's words. Once Andrew had left, Carl tossed the cake in the trash.

…

The day before our flight out of the country, I took Carl to the hospital for a check-up.

The doctor informed me that Carl was recovering nicely. Combined with the advanced treatment methods he would receive overseas, he might recover even further.

Thanking the doctor, I left with Carl happily.

…

Meanwhile, in the consultation room next door, another doctor was speaking to Andrew and Jennifer in an impatient tone.

"What is it this time? I already told you that your son is very healthy and that there's nothing wrong with him. He's just deliberately pretending to be sick because his father left."

Frowning, the doctor then turned to Andrew. "Let me cut to the chase. I think you're a terrible father. Why can't you just spend more time with your kid? Why are you always away from home?"

Andrew's face flushed red at the rebuke.

He was already spending most of his time with Jennifer and Jordan, yet somehow, that still wasn't enough to the doctor. In that case, what sort of father and husband could he be to Carl and me, whom he had neglected all this time?

That made him pause, causing him to be lost in his thoughts as he exited the consultation room. Just as he was about to call me and ask how we were doing, his fingers suddenly brushed against a piece of candy in his pocket.

Most likely, this was the piece of candy that he had forgotten to give to Carl before he left previously.

It was as though a bomb had gone off in his mind. He abruptly recalled the glass bottle back home, filled to the brim with 100 candy wrappers.

Andrew had already let Carl down that many times, or maybe even more. Just how disappointed must Carl be with him?

Anxiety rose in him at the realization. He hurriedly dialed my number, but the call refused to go through.

Just then, he happened to turn his head and spotted Carl and me walking down the corridor. He chased after us, wanting to stop us, but we had already stepped into the elevator.

In the next second, we vanished from his sight.

Subsequently, Andrew charged back down the corridor and burst into the consultation room we had been in earlier to ask the doctor.

"Doctor, what illness does the kid who just left have?"

The doctor stared at Andrew, shocked at the sudden intrusion.

When the doctor didn't reply, Andrew hastily explained, "I-I'm the child's…"

Perhaps worried about Jennifer and Jordan overhearing him next door, he changed his choice of words at the last minute. "I'm the child's relative…"

Letting out an "oh", the doctor then shot him a sympathetic look.

"That child sure is pitiful. He's still so young, yet he's already suffering from mutism. It's all due to the trauma of his father abandoning him on the highway. If you know his father, please tell him to stop doing such heartless things, or he truly will ruin the child's entire life!"

"What?"

Andrew's mind went blank, and his ears rang loudly. He couldn't stop himself from stumbling back a few steps before slumping to the floor.
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  • Saved a Hundred Goodbyes   Chapter 10

    "Deceived you? That's a harsh word. I merely suggested that you invest in that company. It's not my fault they lost all your money. Don't tell me that you still don't know that investments come with risks at your age?"Jennifer's lips curled into a wide smile, her mockery obvious. The way she raised her chin slightly was akin to someone looking down at a defeated opponent in triumph.It had been so easy to get a lovestruck fool like Andrew to take the bait. One sentence from her had been enough for him to scorn his wife. What was even more hilarious was how a lie that couldn't be any more obvious had managed to make him abandon his biological son by the side of a highway.Even a woman with hardly any morals like her couldn't bring herself to respect a man like him. He was merely reaping what he had sown."Andrew, I bet you're being consumed by regret, aren't you? You gave up on such a great woman as Natalia and even abandoned your own son. "Instead, you prioritized someone else's

  • Saved a Hundred Goodbyes   Chapter 9

    Andrew's heart was torn into pieces. He suddenly wondered whether this was what Carl and I felt when we saw him spending time with Jennifer and Jordan.His emotions were in turmoil—from fury to disappointment and, finally, to acceptance.As it turned out, Carl and I no longer needed him. Carl had already regained his voice, yet he refused to speak to Andrew.Andrew picked up the presents scattered across the ground and stacked them neatly by the door of my apartment.Knowing that he had lost both his wife and son, he left. Feeling exhausted and helpless, he returned to the empty home that now no longer held any traces of us.As he forlornly pushed open the door, he thought he saw a small figure darting toward him, an excited smile on the young boy's face."Daddy!"Andrew instantly crouched and opened his arms wide, ready to hug the small figure to him. But in the next second, the figure vanished, immediately causing his smile to freeze.It dawned on him that Carl would no longe

  • Saved a Hundred Goodbyes   Chapter 8

    Andrew's clothes were wrinkled, and a dense layer of stubble dotted his chin. In his hands, he held several bags of different sizes.It appeared that he had bought quite a few gifts for Carl."Carl, did you miss me? Could you come hug your daddy?"With that said, he crouched and opened up his arms. However, when Carl remained unmoving, an awkward expression crossed Andrew's face before he laughed it off. Then, he started to pull out the gifts from the bags. "Carl, look. I've bought you lots of presents."One by one, he took the items out and placed them before Carl, worried that there would be none that Carl liked.Regardless, Carl merely watched him expressionlessly. He did not look delighted whatsoever."This is the smart watch you've always wanted," Andrew said. "I bought it for you."He eagerly ripped open the packaging and grabbed Carl's hand in an attempt to put the watch on his wrist for him.However, Carl calmly pulled his hand free before walking silently into the

  • Saved a Hundred Goodbyes   Chapter 7

    I crouched down to stroke Carl's hair. "Be good now, Carl. We can't disturb Dr. Payton too often. He still has to help a lot of other kids who can't speak."Disappointment crossed his face. Just as he was about to comfort me, Shane spoke up with a smile. "Your mother is right. I can't teach you magic while I'm at work, but that doesn't mean I can't do it after that."At first, I thought that he was kind-hearted and didn't want Carl to be disappointed, which was why he said those words.Hence, imagine my surprise when I received a call from him after working hours. He asked me when we were free, as he wanted to teach Carl magic tricks.For him, we were just one of his patients at work. Yet, he still tried his best to fulfill such a small promise.…From that day forward, Shane and I became best friends, kindred spirits in a country far from our homeland. Carl also changed the way he addressed Shane, going from "Dr. Payton" to "Mr. Shane".It took us some time to get used to lif

  • Saved a Hundred Goodbyes   Chapter 6

    Once Carl nodded, Shane dug through the pockets of his white coat before pointing at a colorful bowl on the table. After waving his hands in an exaggerated manner, he lifted the bowl, only to reveal a piece of candy.It was none other than the same brand of candy that brought Carl countless painful memories.The eager anticipation on Carl's face swiftly faded when he spotted the candy.Shane's original intention for preparing these candies was to delight children. However, upon seeing Carl's expression, he immediately realized something. Quickly taking the candy, he explained, "Did you think I was giving you this candy? Well, you're wrong! What I want to give you is actually this."With that said, he plucked a lighter from his pocket and lit the candy wrapper on fire. Then, he quickly closed his hand around the burning candy. When he uncurled his fingers, a small dinosaur keychain lay on his palm.This time, Carl's eyes visibly lit up with excitement. He carefully took the keych

  • Saved a Hundred Goodbyes   Chapter 5

    This was the first time Andrew hadn't bothered with Jennifer and her son. Ignoring their cries behind him, he dashed off without pausing even once, all the while dialing my number repeatedly. Yet, all he heard was the mechanical voice recording telling him that my phone had been switched off.He sped back home like a madman, arriving in record time. Slamming open the door, he kept calling out Carl's name.However, he was already too late.The villa had long since been cleared of my and Carl's belongings. All that was left was the bottle of candy wrappers, along with the scribbled note that read, "Daddy, I don't want you to come back anymore, but could you return my voice to me?"Andrew staggered backward, eventually sinking to the floor. Reading the note once more, he grabbed the bottle of candy wrappers and hugged it tightly.His guilt toward Carl gnawed away at his insides, causing his heart to ache terribly. Without him realizing it, tears had already spilled down his cheeks.

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